Cincinnati

Well, I left the last company to rejoin Korena and Courtney. It turns out that Korena was the one supplying the high-paying loads, and that she can run me to the west coast and back with auto parts and Fedex stuff.

The new carrier's trailer rentals are cheaper. I can access a load board, but couldn't compete with Korena so why bother?

My new trailer is excellent! No trouble from it at all.

I of course had to set up a new comdata account and direct deposit, and it's taking some time, so I'm still about broke (bills flooded me when I was down.)

She had to give me some dogs to get me to company orientation in Baltimore etc., but now I'm getting good pay--this one I'm waiting for is good-the next one is outstanding, and will give me a few days to get stuff out of my PO Box and take care of some other stuff.

Then, she says, I'll be doing the coast and back. Oh yeah.

Fixed my own oil leak. Got all my tires--eight new ones and two used in decent shape. Changed my tranny fluid, ordered more Fuel Magic (worth every penny. I lost almost .5 mpg's as soon as I ran out).

I'm broke, but have 6 settlements coming--I'm delaying the mailing of an insurance check, but paid my fuel tax shortage (after a check bounced. Got a money order this time.)

This company pays per-load-right away. Never thought I'd care about that; if you live like that you're doing something wrong. But right now? It could keep me out of trouble.

I found a forum online in which the vast majority of drivers bash my current carrier. But they don't have Korena and Courtney. They go on the board and get their own loads, or have agents who rely on brokers.

As mentioned awhile ago in this blog, I was hustling my own loads for awhile, and couldn't compete. I think people like Korena get the best loads themselves, dealing directly with shippers. Then they won't let a load hit the board until they know they can't put it on one of THEIR drivers.

But I AM glad that this same carrier refused to sign me on when I tried a couple years ago.

Something else is the general tenor of that forum: "They don't care about their drivers" always make me do a double-take. The carrier is just the carrier. The loads come from agents and brokers, who make or split eight percent commissions.

So who's "they", and why do you want to be cared about? It's business! When I was struggling for my own loads, the brokers I called didn't care about me. The company that had my authority but stopped giving me loads didn't care about me. I didn't expect them to. And too, they make it happen, and they're entitled to their percentage.

Their authority, their bookkeeping, their collections, their money in advances, their employees integrating everything. And to hear some of these posters, they're supposed to do all that stuff for free, plus give you 2.00 loads every time.

Oh, but I'm lucky. Korena DOES care about me! But it's still business. I perform, and make her job easier. I don't expect anything until I prove myself.

Some of those company-bashers had legit gripes. Some are pinkos. Others are young, and will learn. But none of them had a great agent with great loads...AH-HAHAHA finally....finally......I'm all kerflempt here...